What is Aquaponics?

Aquaculture Hydroponics
Aquaculture is Limited
Water quality and quantity
Growing Season
Effluent mitigation
Energy inputs
Markets
Feed Costs
Fry/fingerling availability
Labor
 Nutrient management/ 90% Less water
effluent mitigation consumption
Plants grow 2x as fast Soil pathogens
eliminated
Year round production
possible Plants can be grown
at desired height
75% smaller footprint
Less space required per No weeding!!!!
plant
Vertical production allows
more efficient use of space
Prolonged individual plant
life
 Where is
aquaponics done?
 This means we need
environmental control!

Light
Temperature
Humidity/Evaporation
Air Flow
 The optimum feeding rate
ratio depends on many
factors such as type of
hydroponic system, plants
being cultivated, chemical
composition of source
water and percentage of
system water lost during
solids removal.
The optimum feeding rate
ratio for a nutrient film
technique hydroponic
system is roughly 25% of
the ratio used for a raft
system.
 Ratio between fish and plants is based
on the feeding rate ratio (amount of
feed fed to the fish daily per square
meter of plant growing area)
For a raft hydroponic system the
optimum ratio varies from 60 to
100 g/m2/day.
For example, if the fish are being fed
1,000 g per day on average, the area
devoted to hydroponics production
should be 16.7 m2 for a feeding rate
ratio of 60 g/m2/day.
 Multiple rearing tanks, staggered production
four tilapia rearing tanks
 Single rearing tank with multiple
size groups of fish
6-month growout tank would have 6 size
groups of fish
monthly grading and harvest of fish
restock equal number of fingerlings
 Plants require 13 nutrients for growth, and fish
feed supplies 10 nutrients in adequate quantities.
Iron
Chelated Iron (EDTA)
Calcium
Agricultural Limestone
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)
Hydrated Lime
Calcium Hydroxide (Ca(OH)2)
Calcium Chloride (CaCl2)
Potassium
Muriate of Potash
Potassium chloride (KCl)
Potassium Hydroxide (KOH)
Nutrient Deficiencies
Yellowing, reduced growth rates, and reduced flavor
quality can be caused by nutrient imbalances
 The fish, plants and bacteria in
aquaponic systems require
adequate levels of dissolved
oxygen (DO) for maximum
health and growth.
Maintain DO at >5 mg/liter
 Aeration
ADD AERATION WHENEVER POSSIBLE!
Aids in oxygenation and off-gassing of unwanted toxins
Helps fish, plants, and bacteria perform critical biological
processes

Aeration options
Diffuser stones
Venturi action
Packed columns
Waterfall action
 Approximately 25% of the feed given to fish is excreted
as solid waste, based on dry weight.
If solids are not removed:
Depletes dissolved oxygen
Clogs pipes
Kills nitrifying bacteria
Causes ammonia problems
 Mechanical Filtration
Options
Filter pads
Settling chambers/
Clarifiers
Sand and bead filters
Screen filters
 Organic solids may tend to
clog aggregates such as pea
gravel, sand and perlite
Creates anaerobic
conditions (low DO)
Kills plant roots
Kills beneficial bacteria
Can be mitigated by adding
worms to aggregate
substrate to process
organics
 Use oversized pipes to reduce the effects of biofouling
dissolved organic matter promote the growth of filamentous
bacteria
restricts flow within pipes

Spaghetti tubes will likely clog

Tilapia in drain lines reduce biofouling by grazing on
bacteria
Pipes downstream from solids removal are less likely to clog
Lower water temperatures reduce biofouling
 Pesticides must not be used to
control insects and plant diseases
because many are toxic to fish and
none have been approved for use
in food fish culture.
Therapeutants for treating fish
parasites and diseases may harm
beneficial bacteria and vegetables
may absorb and concentrate them.
Biological control methods are the
only option for controlling insects
and diseases.
 Biological Filtration
Biofiltration is critical for the conversion of toxic
ammonia to the nitrate plant fertilizer
Best to over-size the biofilter
Options:
Trickling biofilter
Fluidized bed
Rotating contact biofilter
 Nitrification is more efficient at
pH 7.5 or higher and
practically ceases at pH values
less than 6.0.
The optimum pH for nutrient
solubility is 6.5 or slightly
lower.
High pH plants display nutrient
deficiencies
Low pH ammonia accumulates
to levels that are toxic to fish
 Take advantage of gravity
Lower energy usage
 Pumps
Efficiency is key!
Use one pump and let
gravity do the rest
Always have a backup
pump!!!
Impeller pumps
Inline
Submersible
Mag-drive

Airlift pumps
Blower
Compressor
See Paradigm shift with Airlift
https://learn.extension.org/events/1064
 Water
Water is heavy!
~8.35 lb/gal
1 kg/L
Take advantage of
gravity flow whenever
possible
Put tanks on the
ground or support
them adequately with
good construction
materials
 Water Source
HAVE YOUR WATER TESTED BEFORE SETTING UP A SYSTEM!!!
Municipal Water
May contain chlorine or chloramine TOXIC to fish
Chloramine must be broken up with a sulfur compound
Sodium sulfite or Sodium thiosulfate

Well Water
May contain pesticides, contaminants, or toxins
Will likely be low DO and high CO2
Rain Water
Low hardness and may be affected by acid rain
May need to add ocean salt for fish osmotic balance (0.25 1 ppt)
Surface Water
May contain pesticides, contaminants, or toxins
May contain diseases, algae, fungi, fecal coliforms, etc.
 Tanks
Tons of choices!
Choose the most appropriate
tank for the scale of your
operation
Tank size and shape is
dependent on fish and plant
species and harvest style
40-gal square tanks are 20%
of system volume at ISU
Hydroponic Unit
Where the plants are grown
Must maintain moisture and
high oxygen concentrations for
plant roots
Options:
Floating raft
Flood and drain
Nutrient film technique
Towers
Aeroponics
 Greenhouses
Controlled environments culture
Take advantage of natural light
Control culture temperature of plants
and fish
Extend/year-round growing season
Reduce pest issues
Increase food safety

Options:
 Supplemental Lighting
Necessary for winter months and indoor
culture
Efficiency is critical to economic viability
Light spectrum and photoperiod affects
fruiting of plants
Options:
High Pressure Sodium
Florescent
Halogen
Light Emitting Diodes (LED)
 Water Quality
Daily Testing
Dissolved oxygen (DO)
Temperature
pH
Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN)

Weekly Testing
Nitrite Iron
Nitrate Alkalinity
Phosphorus Calcium hardness
Potassium
Disease Issues
 Biosecurity
Preventions is best!
No foreign water, fish, plants, nets, hands,
etc.
Regular sterilization of surfaces and
equipment

Maintaining healthy water

Regular solids removal
Ultraviolet light sterilization
O-Zone sterilization
ISU System
How does it work?

Hydroponic Component

5 - Blower
5
 Fish Tanks
Dimensions 50x65x74 cm
Water Volume ~ 158 L (42 gal)
Directional flow (1 PVC)
1
Bottom outflow (1 PVC)
4
1
Emergency overflow (1 PVC)
4

Aeration via Airstone

8x3x3 cm
Covers (1 cm plastic mesh)
Max fish biomass = 120 kg/m3
 Filter Tanks
Dimension =
56x40x35 cm
Water Depth = 3 cm
Biofilter Material Vol.
= 0.063 m3
Bio-FillTM 800
m2/m3 -> 51.6 m2
Solids filter pads
Plant Trays
Tray Dimension = 83 cm x 76 cm = 0.63 m2
Inflow manifold = 75 cm x 35 cm
3 mm holes, spaced 3.5 cm
 Sumps
50 gal stock tank
~ 167 L (44 gal) capacity

1/3 Horsepower sump pump

Shunt-valve
Auto Shutoff
Auto Refill via head tank
Head Tank Vol. = 170 L (45 gal)

Nutrient supplementation
Iron
Calcium
Alkalinity
Types of Growout
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
Rockwool
 NFT Key Characteristics
Rockwool cubes 98% Air by volume
Blocks 10 cm (L) x 10 cm (W) x 7.6 cm (H)
~1cm water depth of blocks
Wicks up water from below
Tray water volume = 41 L (11 gal)
Flood and Drain/Ebb and Flow
Pea Gravel
Flood and Drain Key
Characteristics
Pea Gravel from local quarry
Diameter = 0.5 1.5 cm
Flood and drain cycle = 20-30 min
Deep Water Culture
Floating Raft
Floating Raft Key Characteristics
Water Depth = ~ 15 cm (6 in)
Tray Volume = ~ 92 L (24 gal)
Average Flow Rate = 6.3 L/min (1.7 gal/min)
 Lighting
High Pressure
Sodium Lamps
400 watts
1.5 m above tables
2 per bench
8 total

Photoperiod
16L : 8 D
 Species Grown

Nile Tilapia
Oreochromis niloticus

Buttercrunch Bibb Italian Largeleaf Basil

Lettuce
 In
March
of
2012
 Average Individual
Lettuce Produce Weight
400

a
Lettuce Produce Weight (g)

300

a 271.1
a

200 210.1
218.3

100 b

62.5

0
Floating Raft Soil Pea Gravel Rockwool
Tilapia Harvest
 Current
Research
Implications of Water
Exchange for
Aquaponics
D. Allen Pattillo and Kailey James
 Summer 2013

Channel Catfish

Results still
being
Italian Large-Leaf Basil analyzed
Research Sponsors
 Cumulative Water Usage
400

350

300
Cumulative Water Usage (gal)

250

200
Green 10% Exchange
150
White 5% - Exchange
Blue 0% - Exchange
100

50

Date